382 pages : 27 cm

"Peoples on Parade provides the first substantial overview of these human exhibitions in nineteenth-century Britain. Sadiah Qureshi considers these shows in their entirety -- their production, promotion, management, and performance -- to understand why they proved so commercially successful, how they shaped performers' lives, how they were interpreted by their audiences, and what kinds of lasting influence they may have had on notions of race and empire. Qureshi supports her analysis with diverse visual materials, including promotional ephemera, travel paintings, theatrical scenery, art prints, and photography, and thus contributes to the wider understanding of the relationship between science and visual culture in the nineteenth century. Through Qureshi's vibrant telling and stunning images, readers will see how human exhibitions have left behind a lasting legacy both in the formation of early anthropological inquiry and in the creation of broader public attitudes toward racial difference"--Publisher's website

Includes bibliographical references (pages 343-375) and index

Introduction: Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you ... -- Street Spectacles. Glimpsing urban savages -- Artful promotion -- Metropolitan Encounters. Managing performance -- Recruiting entertainers -- Interpreting exhibitions -- The Natural History of Race. Transforming "unfruitful wonder" -- The end of an affair -- Conclusion: Afterlives

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